Transfer printing for fibrous articles



Feb. 29 i932. A. SCHUBERT f? TRANSFER PRINTINGvFOR FIBROUS ARTICLES Filed July 6, 1929 IN V EN TOR.

f A 2 l ADOLF SCHUBERT, 0F MILLBURN, NE

Patented Feb. 2, 1932.-

UNITED STATES W JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 BARRETT & COMPANY,

0]? NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY TRANSFER PRINTING :ECR FIBROUS ARTICLES Application led July 6,

My invention relates to a transfer printing process whereby permanent markings of any kind can be made on fibrous articles and materials, such as paper, cloth, leather, etc.

, It is particularly suited and intended for decoration or ornamentation purposes.

In prior transfer-printing processes, the subject matter e. lines, numerals, letters, etc.) is first printed on sheets of paper, cloth, etc. by means of some convenient printing process, andthence transferred by contact tothe articles or materials ultimately desired to receive it. Herein I use the term transfer sheet to identify such a sheet with the subject matter printed on it. By the term article, I refer to any article or material the marking of which is the end sought, and regardless of whether the same be a Afinished or partly finished manufactured article or a material for future fabricationksuch as cloth in the piece, skins, etc.

According to one class of transfer printing processes, the transfer from the transfer sheet to the article is accomplished or assisted by a transfer fluid acting on the ink.

The transfer sheet and the article are placed in contact in the presence of a suitable fluid,

usually a liquid, pressure is applied either locally, as by rubbing, or over the whole area at once, as by squeezing in a press, and after a sufficient interval the paper base of the transfer sheet is peeled off the article, leaving more or less of the ink behind on the article. Letter-press copying of letters is a well known example of such a process. In some of these processes the coloring matter used in the ink is' a dye andthe transfer liquid is a solvent for the dye; it is assumed that dyeing ofthe fibres of the article is accomplished in some such instances. These prior known transfer printing processes are y of limited application however, and are subject to various faults; bleeding for example,

is hard or impossible to control, lines tending tofappear blurred on vthe article and color vgradations tending to disappear. IVhile therefore these prior transfer printing processes are suitable forcertain work, such as the product-ion of copies of letters,.and the printing ofiembroide'ry designs and identify- Serial No. 376,493.

ing numbers and letters, for example,vthey are not suited for general decorating and ornamental work under factory conditions.

The object of my invention is to improve this class of transfer' printing processes to such an extent that they can be used for ornamenting and decorating fibrous articles and materials under ordinary factoryconditions; or to provide a process suitable for permanently decorating and ornamenting fibrous articles and materials of various shapes, sizes and kinds under factory conditions, wherein any of a considerable range of colors can be used.

The accompanying drawing illustrates, diagrammatically, an embodiment of my invention.

According to my invention, I use, in the ink, a dyestuff rather than a pigment incapable of taking-part in a dyeing action, to the end that the marking ultimately made on the article, may be made by dyeing the fibres of the article rather than by a mechanical fixation of the coloring matter to the article by means of the vehicle part of the ink, or a mere staining of the article. With the dyestuff I mix a vehicle suiting the particular printing process selected for printing the transfer sheets; that is to say, the vehicle material is so chosen that the ink resulting from the mixture has that viscosity, tacky or greasy nature, and whatever other characteristics that may be required of the ink used in the particular printing process employed for laying down the ink on the base of the transfer sheet.. Furthermore, I choose for the vehicle a substance or substances that will remain on the transfer sheets until the transfers are made to the articles; I believe that the presence of the vehicle at the time the transfer is madehelps to confine the dyestuff to its intended boundaries. The dyestuif is not to be held in the vehicle in solution however, but in a solid state; in suspensionvas it were. If the dyestuff is soluble in the vehicle, bleedingmay take place in the transfer sheet and this results in blurred outlines and poor color gradations in the reproduction in the article. Furthermore, for certaincolors, I have seemed to find it impossible to get sufficient dyestuH yinto the vehicle in dissolved form to give the desired color intensity in the reproduction on the article. Hence I use vehicle material or vehicle materials (including in that term everything in the ink exceptthe dyestuff) that is not a solvent for the dyestu, or in which at least no great part of the dyestuf'f is carried in solution; the dyestuff and vehicle are so chosen that the dyestuf is substantially insoluble in the vehicle. The dyestulf may be introduced initially into the vehicle in the form of a solution of the dyestuff, however, if desired, providing the solventv is evaporated, for example, or if the dyestuff is precipitated or is otherwise restored to or produced in a solid state prior to printing on the transfer sheet base; 'at the time of the printing of the transfer sheet however substantially all the dyestuff should be in an undissolved state and it-should remain in this' solid state until the transfer to the article is made. Preferably therefore I take the dyestuif in powdered form and grind it into the chosen vehicle. Afterward this mixture can be thickened if too thin, or thinned if too thick, by the addition of suitable inert substances as will be understood; also drying retardants and/or other useful substances can be incorporated in and made a part of the ink as will be understood.

With such an ink I print up the transfer sheets; that is to say, I print the subject matter on she-ets of paper,'cloth or other relatively light, thin, flexible material. Preferably I use a fibrous material for these transfer sheet bases, because of the permeability of fibrous materials. Newsprint paper is suitable and usually gives better results than a heavily sized paper. yThe transfer sheets can then be stored, and used as needed so long as the vehicle remains on the transfer sheet and remains permeable to the transfersolvent used in making the transfer.

To make a transfer or print onthe fibrous article, I take one of the transfer sheets and press it smoothly to theV article, preferably with its inked face to the article, in the presence of a substance or substances which is a solvent for the dyestufl or dyestufs or at least is a solvent for the essential active principle of the dyestufi', and which is readilyY permeable to (capable of'entering readily) the vehicle part of the ink and capable of carrying dyestuft' or its essential needed principle from well within the vehicle into dyeing relation to the fibres of the article.v This substance or mixture of substances is here called the transfer-solvent. Where the dyestuff appears in the ink as a compound needing to be broken up, or which can be broken up, before its action on the bres is accomplished (for example where the dyestuff in the ink is in the form of a lake), the transfer solvent can be employed to or act -to break up the compound; it need not then be a solvent for the dyestuif-compound found in the ink;`it only need be a solvent for the dyestuff proper or essential principle; an example of this is given hereinafteu. Preferably the transfer-solvent is a solvent for the vehicle part of the ink as well as a solvent forv the dyestuff'` and permeates the vehicle because of its solubility therefor. Preferably also it is a substance in which the dyestuf or dyestuifs become relatively insoluble as the dyestuf comes intodyeing relation to the article fibres and become fixed thereto. F inally, the substance or substances for the transfer solvent is or are so chosen that it does not attack and modify the article as an article, of course, and isa substance having a high degree of capillarity so that it readily moves in between the fibres of fibrous articles as is more fully explained in a copending application of mine dealing with the application of this process to the marking of leather. Usually I apply the transfer-sol'- vent to the article, either by spraying or dipping, ilnmediately before making the transfer, and apply the transfer sheet dry to the wetted article; I regard this as highly desirable. Usually too I apply pressure by squeezing the transfer-sheet to the article in a press, with considerable pressure; I have used up to 300 pounds per square inch. This is not to be understood to indicate however that such high pressures as this are always necessary. Where heat does not deleteriously affect the article, heat may be used simultaneously with the pressure as by passing steam through pipes provided in the plates of the press; heat is not altogether an essential however. The transfer of dyestuf from the transfer sheet to the article takes place rather quickly, at least under high pressure, a transferv being produced in from a fraction of a minute to two minutes. At the same time the length of time the transfer sheet is left in contact with the article is not critical; that is to say, without heat I have left a transfer sheet under pressure on an article for as much as five minutes without producing noticeable bleeding or blurring. Vhen the transfer has been accomplished, the transfer sh'eet is peeled off the article of course. Preferably I employ a transfer-solvent that is also volatile, so that it is readily removed or escapes from the article, by evaporation, after it has performed its function; again the alcohols serve as examples.

It will be apparent now that from a broad point of view, the exact nature of the dyestuff employed in the ink is not material to my invention, excepting only that it be one which causes the marking ultimately made on the article to be a marking by dyeing, as that term is used in the dyeing art, and not a mere staining or a mere fixing of pigment to the article by the vehicle of the ink after the manner of printing. The various forms which this dyestufif may assume will be' understood bythose lskilled in textile printing, who will also understand the various manners in which the article may be treated either before or after the transferring is done, or both before and after, either to prepare the article, for cleaning, to brighten the colors,'to fix the dye, etc. etc. Thefdyestuff may be a dye or dyes per se; that is to say, coloring matters capable of producing color effects by a dyeing action, either-with or without the aid of a mordant or fixing agent; when the dye or article demands fixing agents or mordants, they may be incor.

porated in the inks along with the coloring matters, or they can be a plied direct to the article either before orka er the transferring is done, as the nature of the dyes and these Vagents or factorypractice may dictate; in a suitable case part of the agentuor agents may be incorporated in the ink and part applied direct to the article. For developed colors and other stuffs acting in analogous ways (e. g. indigo) all the constituents may be incorporated in the ink when the conditions are suitable, or only a part of the constituents may be incorporated in the ink and when necessary'the remainder applied direct to the article either before or after the transferring operation. Again the dyestuff incorporated in the ink may be merely a mordant or fixer for the dye, the dye itself being applied direct to the article and dyeing the article where and as mordant is applied to the article. Or the d vestuff incorporated in the article may be a discharge, or a reserve or resist; inthe first case the article being dyed all over prior to the transferring process Vand the dye itself being discharged where and as the discharge substance is applied to the article by` transferring; in the second case, the dye being 'applied to the' article .subsequent to transferring process and dyeing the article where and as the applied reserve or resist permits. Particularly in these last two cases, the subject matter transferred to the article may be the reverse of the print desired on' the article. Furthermore it will be apparent that the substance or substances mixed into the vehicle may or may not be the dyestuff ultimatelydesired t0 be transferred to the article, but the latter may be a reaction product. I anticipate that usually it will be that d vestufil itself, but conceivably it may be a substance thatlater reacts, or two or more substances that react together, toi produce the desired dyestuff or dyestuifs. Still further, the dyestuff employed in the ink may be a pigment incapable in itself of dyeing, providing thejpigment is one that can be broken up to release a dye, or one from which a dye is readily derived, by means of a substance suitable for serving as or in a transfer-solvent. Lakes are examples.

The transfer-solvent need "not then Vbe a sol-I vent for the pigment as a Whole, but it must then be one serving two functions, namely deriving a dye or the essential 4dyeing principle from the pigment, and acting as a solvent for this essential principle. Accordingly when a lake or lakes are used as the dyestuff in the ink, I employ as or in the transfer-solvent a substance capable of breaking up the lake or lakes, freeing the dye or dyes, and a substance capable of dissolving the dye or dyes; a single substance may serve both functions. d v- The use of a rhodamine lake ink lwill serve to illustrate the operation with a lake ink as well as a specific example of my process from its broader aspect A rhodamine lake is mixed into the ink vehicle. This rhodamine lake may beV one formed by precipitating the basic dye rhodamine from a water solution thereof, by means of a resin soap and the metallic salt aluminum sulphate.

lake is filtered out and dried. In finely p'owdered form, the lake may then be ground into4 linseed oil thickened with paraffin wax r to such a consistency that the resulting lakevehicle mixture has that consistency required for the operation of printing the trans er sheets. The ratio of precipitate` or lake to the linseed-oil-wax vehicle is found by trial, that ratio being used which givesthe desired color strength or tinctorial value in the reproduc- The precipitated tion on the article. With the ink thus formed, I

the design or ornamental matter is printed on sheets of such paper as 1s used for newsprint, using blocks or rolls etched or engraved in accordance with the desired design. For

quite some time thereafter this ink will remain permeable tothe transfer-solvent hereafter specified, and hence as many ofthe transfer sheets may be printed up at once as will be required for quite a While: IVhenaIi article is to be decorated, say apiece of cloth, the Lcloth is sprayed with or dipped into benzine, constituting the transfer-solvent, and immediately thereafter one of the transfer sheets is laid on it, inked face to the cloth, and the two pressed momentarily in a press. Considerable pressure may be used to evenly and uniformly contact the transfer sheet with the cloth as before noted. The linseed oilparafiin wax vehicle of the ink bfeing soluble in the benzine, the benzine penetrates well into the ink immediately on this Contact. The

rhodamine lake is insoluble in the benzine, i

and especially from the description of my invention as it involves dye-lakes, that hereinafter in the claims when I use the phrase solvent for the dyestuff or the like, I include therein not only those substances which are solvents for the Whole of a dyestufl, but

also those substances which lare solvents for f only the essential principles of complex dyestuffs, that is to say, those parts of complex dyestuffs that are essential to produce the desired dyeing action. In general, my invention is not limited to the details of the fore-4 going description except as appears hereinafter in the claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making markings on fibrous articles, which consists in printing the subject matter on transfer sheet bases with ink incorporating dyestuff, substantially all of which is in an undissolved state, and've-J hicle material suiting the ink to the particular printing process by which the printing onto the transfer sheet bases is done, and in which said dyestuff is substantially insoluble, and pressing, while the vehicle is still present on the transfer sheets, the transfer sheets to the fibrous articles in the presence of a substance which is or contains a solvent for the dyestuf and which is capable of permeating said vehicle and carrying dyestuff therefrom into dyeing relation to the bres of the articles;

2. The method of making. markings on fibrous articles, which consists in producing an ink or inks consisting essentially of dyestuffs little or none of which lis in solution and vehicle material suiting the resulting ink or inks to the particular printing process by which the subject matter is intended to be printed on the, transfer sheet bases and in which said dyestufl" is substantially insoluble, printing the subject matter on transfer sheet bases with said ink or inks, and pressing, While the vehicle is still present on the transfer sheets, the transfer sheets to the fibrous articles in the presence of a fluid which is or contains a solvent for said dyestu', and vvhich carrying dyestu therJefrom into dyeing relation to the fibres ofthe articles.

3. The method of making markings on fibrous articles, which consists in printing the subject matter on transfer sheet bases permeable -to the transfer Huid hereinafter mentioned with ink incorporating dyestu substantially all of which is in an undissolved state and, intermifxed therewith, vehicle material suiting the ink to the particular printing process by which the printing onto the transfer sheet bases is done and in which said dyestuff is substantially insoluble, placing, While the vehicle is still present 011l the transfer sheets, the printed transfer sheets against the fibrous articles with the inked faces of the sheets to the articles, pressing the transfer sheets into firm contact with the articles in the presence f'a transfer fluid which is a solvent for the dyestuif and for the vehicle and capable of carrying said dyestuff into dyeing relation to the fibres of the article, and then removing the transfer sheets from the articles.

4. The method of making markings on fibrous articles, which consists in mixing dyestuff in avsolid state with vehicle material suiting the resulting ink or inks to the particular printing process by which the subject matter is intended to be printed on the transfer sheet bases and in which said dyestuif is substantially insoluble, so that at the said printing substantially none of the dyestuff exists in the vehicle in a dissolved state, printing with said ink or inks, the subject matter on transfer sheet bases which are permeable to the transfer fluid hereafter mentioned, applying, While the vehicle is still present on the transfer sheets, the printed ktransfer sheets againstthe fibrous articles with the inked faces of the sheets in contact With the fibres ofthe articlesfpressing the transfer sheets into firm contact with the articles in the presence of a transfer fluid which is a solvent for the dyestuff and for the vehicle, which is capable of carr ingfsaid dyestuff into dyeing relation to t e fibres of the article, and which does not attack the respective article, and then removing the transfer sheets from the articles.

5. The subject matter of'claim 3, characterized by the fact that the transfer ysheet bases used are fibrous and thereby permeable to the transfer fluid.

6. The subject matter of claim 4, characterized byA the fact that the transfer sheet bases are fibrous and thereby permeable to the transfer fluid. f

7. The subject matter of claim 3, charac- DMD terized by the fact that the transfer fluid is `lto the articles. is capable of permeatlng said vehlcle and 8. The subject matter of claim 4, characterized by the fact that the transfer uid is applied to the articles before the transfer sheets "are applied to the articles and the transfer sheets receive transfer fluid only from the articles.

9. rllhe method of making markings on placed against or pressed y fibrous articles, which consists in printing the subject matter on transfer sheets bases With ink incorporating a lake substantially all of which is in an undissolved state and vehicle material suiting the ink to the particular printing process by which the printing onto the transfer sheet bases is done, and in which the lake is substantially insoluble, and pressing, While the vehicle is still present on m the transfer sheets, the transfer sheets to the {ibrous articles in the presence of a substance which is capable of freeing the dye from the lake, dissolving the dye, and permeating the vehicle and carrying dye therefrom into dye-v ing relation to the libres of the articles.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

ADLF SCHUBERT. 

